Everything Will Be Okay
by The Neliel Tu
Summary: Neliel and Nnoitra. AU. They grew up together, and now Nnoitra's rich and important and Neliel's dirt poor and sickly. Still, he can't leave her be. What will become of them?  crappy synopsis is crappy


_a/n: oh, wow. I haven't submitted anything in forever. And I have all these stories I need to finish. OTL! Well, this is something I've been working on for probably close to two years. Siigh, when did I become so slow? Well, it's Neliel/Nnoitra, and it's AU. And ... it's weird. I'll just let you read it for yourself.  
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"She's not hurting anymore, you know. We can let her stand again—she'd be okay," A voice, one of those who had been with her—the smaller one—said. The bigger one cried, tears running down his fat face and soaking into the folds of his neck.

And then, it washed over them like realization over the condemned.

"Damn. He's here." Pesche muttered. Dondo Chakka cried harder, covering his mouth to try and stifle the sobs.

"What do we do now, Pesche, yansu?" he whimpered, and Pesche turned toward the sleeping woman beside him.

"Nel-sama, Nel-sama, wake up." He prodded her with one slender finger. She stirred, opened her golden eyes and reproached him with a glare.

"I told you to stop calling me that." She mumbled.

"He's coming."

"Yes, I know," she said, pushing herself into a sitting position. "He's here for me." She ruffled Dondo Chakka's hair gently, and he sniffled. "Don't worry so much. I'm okay now." She admonished. "Leave him to me, and just go back inside, please."

"Yes, Nel-s—Neliel." Pesche bowed and dragged the fat one inside. Neliel marveled at how strong the skinny man was.

"There you are," He said. Umber eyes, darkened with emotion, traveled over the glorious Snake-Man. It began to rain. It didn't take long for Neliel's hair to frizz out and then flatten in the moisture.

"And there you are," She said. She narrowed her eyes. They stared for what seemed to be an eternity before he spoke again.

"You know what I'm here for."

"Of course I do." She spat the words out, letting them coil around his feet before making their way up to his ears. He wrinkled his nose and curled his lip.

"Don't tell me you don't want this." He commanded.

"Don't tell me what you think I want," She said with pride. "Even you cannot reach the depths of my mind." She reached upward, and her fingertips brushed his cheek. He caught his breath, and she could see him fighting for control.

"Don't fucking touch me," he gasped.

"You've just lost, Nnoitra." She smiled for the first time in years, and he wanted her more than ever. "If you would come to see me more often, I might regard you warmly." She scoffed and turned toward her door. Dondo Chakka and Pesche were framed in the window, watching with baited breath.

He grasped her wrist and pulled her against him, crushing her lips against his.

"I'd never lose to you," he said into her mouth before kissing her again. She pressed her face into his chest when he ended the kiss. Her arms wrapped around him. He stood helplessly until she let go.

"Nnoitra, I cannot leave. You know this as well as I do," She said. "Who will take care of my brothers if I am to go? And you won't stay—Nnoitra, please don't do this to me." Her voice trembled, and he heard the imminent tears in her breath.

"I won't come back." He mumbled, turning from her. She fell to her knees, shutting her eyes against the onslaught of tears burning behind the lids. "I'll just leave you here. Fuck you." He muttered. She sobbed once before catching herself and tugging at the pooled fabric around her thighs.

"Nnoitra—goodbye." She faltered between words, wiping at her eyes. Her chin sunk into her chest and her eyes closed. Nnoitra turned in time to see her shoulders slumping forward. She was defeated, and he was pulling her into his arms before he could find himself.

"Damn you." He cursed her limp form. She sniffled, trying to regain control, but she was having great difficulty.

"Nnoitra—please don't leave me." She begged. "I can't do this on my own." She mumbled, her voice weak. "I've been sinking—I've been falling—and I hold myself so low." Her voice broke, and she clutched at the fabric around Nnoitra's chest.

"Dammit, Neliel. I can't stay—I can only stay a few days at a time. Maybe weeks if I break the rules a little bit."

Neliel sagged in his arms even more. Nnoitra wanted to make her feel weightless again, but how could she shed the thousand pounds she'd gained from all of her responsibilities? He pulled her up and led her to the door.

"I'll stay for a week. Maybe two." He conceded. Neliel didn't look any less depressed.

"N-N-Nnoitra…what if I come back with you?" she asked. He paused to stare at her.

"You'd leave those two idiots behind?" he scowled. "What do you have in mind?"

"I'll bring you back with me. I'll change the rules. I'll put on my best dress, and they'll have to listen, Nnoitra." She murmured.

"Keep dreaming, bitch." He smirked. "They can't lose me, and I'm only allowed a wife and kids." He laughed once, a bitter laugh. "And I've already got a woman in mind—one who doesn't have two idiot brothers she has to take care of."

Neliel said nothing. She opened the door and padded across the threshold. "Dondo—Pesche, get ready for bed." She beseeched, and they turned and fled up the stairs without question. It was, after all, only six thirty and she usually allowed them to stay up until eleven.

She flung herself into a kitchen chair, her palms flattened against the counter. She stared out the window, watching the rain streak down the panes. A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the purple clouds. Nnoitra stood in the doorway, watching her with teenage awkwardness.

She turned her abused eyes to him languidly. "You make the worst choices, Nnoitra. You know that I no longer value my life," She said. "The reason I am still alive is so that Dondo and Pesche will live."

"You care that much?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "I care that much. And they're the only ones who are capable of returning that."

"What the fuck ever." Nnoitra grumbled, massaging the back of his neck. He shook his head, glaring at Neliel with his slit of a violet eye. "You're selfish."

"Of course," She said, flicking the moisture from her hair. "I certainly must view myself as a martyr." She smiled again, running her tongue along her upper lip. "But you're forgetting one thing, Nnoitra. I do not care about you."

"Sure." He scoffed, he scowled and he mentally cursed her. "You're just a dumb bitch. You think I care, don't you?"

"Of course not." She began, "If I thought that, I'd be dragging you into bed rather than sitting here talking. And I don't claim to know that you care. If you cared, I'm sure you would find a way to stay here." Her eyes brightened to that sleek and shiny gold. "But you are going to marry that woman who must be beautiful. That woman who has nothing holding her back from leading a great life with you."

Nnoitra watched Neliel's chin lift with pride, her ribcage pushing her breasts forward and upward. He knew then that he would love no one but her. Her eyes shone in the dim light of her kitchen, and her hair didn't seem so lank and lusterless.

He could ignore her malnourished looks, her bony wrists and body. He could remember that once, they had lived together and she had been healthy. "Neliel…" he muttered, and she flung herself onto him, kissing him as hard as her frail body could muster.

Her arms wrapped around him. He felt her warm body pressing against him, surprised that she could generate any body heat at all. His hands grasped her hips as she pushed him down onto a chair. She straddled him, pulling at his clothes with fragile fingers. He didn't realize how thin her dress was until he was ripping through it.

Then, he discovered that she was wearing nothing beneath it. She kissed his face to distract him as she removed his clothes, and to keep him from ripping her dress anymore. It was almost beyond repair as it was. It wasn't like Neliel had a closet filled with clothes. Nnoitra knew very well that she was poor. She was almost mad that he was destroying her dress.

But then, he pulled her up into the air, and she flailed for a moment. She felt cool wood against the back of her filmy dress, and knew that she was on the table. Nnoitra didn't bother to see if she was ready for him, because he was ready for her. He pulled her thighs apart and with a violent jerk of his hips he was inside of her.

Neliel contained her gasps and moans. She pulled a fabric napkin from the table and shoved it into her mouth, biting down on it. She had to spare her tongue. She didn't care for the taste of blood. Nnoitra pulled her legs up until she had to cross her ankles atop his back. Her head fell back, and she caught the edge of the table with her hands. He pulled his hips back, sinking his teeth into the skin around her collarbone.

She bled, and he lapped up the iron rich liquid with pleasure. She moaned, muffled against the napkin. Neliel shook her head and pulled Nnoitra's head up with one hand. The other hand pulled the burgundy cloth loose so that their lips could meet. She tasted the salt of his saliva, and the sweat. She smelled his rich, earthy scent. She inhaled through her nose.

Her fingernails dug into his shoulder blades, and he broke his rhythm to run his tongue along her neck. She forced her body upward by tightening her arms around him. His hips moved into a tempo that she could not distinguish amidst the roiling waves of pleasure.

"Oh, I'm dying." She murmured, and Nnoitra smiled a genuine smile.

"I'll die with you this time." He told her. Neliel shut her eyes, her heart beating faster than Nnoitra's hips could move.

"Kill me faster, Nnoi." She begged.

Only if you kill me, too, he wanted to say, but moved his body against hers to satisfy her. He watched the tears leak from her sealed eyelids. He saw her skin flush to a tone of magenta that he had only seen in a painting long ago. The people in this area were too poor and underfed to have skin that would turn any color.

Neliel wanted to cry and scream out her pleasure, but she kept silent for she knew Dondo and Pesche had their ears pressed to the floorboards. Her back arced and her entire body trembled. Nnoitra faltered in his rhythm every so often, and she knew that soon, this would be over.

"Nnoitra." She opened her eyes. Nnoitra had never seen them in such bright, vivid color. She had never opened them during their intercourse. He couldn't look away. They spoke volumes about her, and her every emotion. She loved him.

He couldn't close his eye until he was finished, and she was satisfied at last. She said nothing as he drew away, settling in her chair. She sat up on the table, her legs dangling over the edge. They both pieced together their outfits in the awkward after silence.

She leaned against her thin arm, palm flat against the bare wood of the table. "Nnoitra, I'm sorry," She said. He studied the pleats of his pants.

"No, you're not." He shot back, staring at her with one empty eye. She leaned forward, seeming to deflate.

"You had to see." She explained. She knew she would not get anywhere. She could feel his anger. She could see him tensing up. She set her feet on the ground and ran down the hall to her room. She pulled off her dress and pulled on a nightgown.

Nnoitra moved to the room he knew she would occupy next. He sat in a dusty chair, the one reserved for him. She padded in, setting her dress on the table next to her antique sewing machine. It had to be older than her.

He watched her change the spool of thread to an off white that would match her almost ruined dress. She did not look to him, only began pumping the pedal of the machine. The noise filled the room, and he watched her thin hands move the fabric up and down without ripping it. She mended it with skill.

He wanted her to mend him with that same skill. She stopped pedaling, and caught his gaze. She motioned him near her, and he moved. She pulled his face closer, so that his ear was near her mouth. Then, she pedaled again. The dress needed to be mended.

"You know what you mean to me now, Nnoitra," She said. "I've always worried that you wouldn't understand, and so I never showed you."

He held the edge of the table, wishing she would wait until she had finished mending to tell him these things. She pumped the pedal harder, the needle bobbing up and down faster. She was near the end.

"Nnoitra, this has always been difficult for me to say." She did not look up from the sewing. "I love you, I can't live without you."

He stepped away, and she knew without looking that he was in the chair again. She pulled the dress away from the machine and eyed it. Nnoitra could not tell that it had ever been ripped, but he didn't say so.

"I know that you don't believe me," She said, rising from the stool. "But I told you that I don't care." Her face was dark.

"I don't fucking understand you." He grumbled. Undertones of pain filled his voice, for he wanted to understand her.

"Such a pity." She walked across the room, pausing in the doorway. "Goodnight, Nnoitra."

Her voice held such finality that he knew she expected him to be gone of his own volition in the morning. He succumbed to dreams in the dusty, burgundy trimmed chair.

The light fell upon her face and pulled her with gentle grace from her dreams. She lived to see another desolate day. She forced herself from the bed and tiptoed to the kitchen. She pulled open the refrigerator, pulling out a carton of eggs. She lost herself as she rummaged for ingredients, grating potatoes and chopping vegetables and ham.

It was only when the casserole dish was baking that she realized that she had made too much. There weren't any eggs left, or potatoes, or ham—and she wouldn't be able to cook a sustaining lunch or dinner. She let her head fall to the table, her hands clasped above her head.

Nnoitra sat beside her.

"Pesche…what am I going to do?" she asked, and Nnoitra frowned. "I've got no money, or food—we're going to starve, aren't we?" she sighed, her voice steady. "It's okay, we'll be better off dead, right?"

"Neliel, I'm still here, you idiot."

She was out of the chair in moments, accusing him with a glare. "You shouldn't be here!" she exclaimed. "You're ruining my life! I can't depend on you anymore!" She flung her hands to her face.

He bowed his head. "You're not the only one with a ruined life, Neliel." He told her. She raised her fists, umber eyes darkened with pain.

"I hate you!" She cried, raising her voice for the first time. And for the first time, Nnoitra was stung by her words.

"Neliel—I can't—"

"I wish you wouldn't have showed up here!" she charged. "We were fine! Now we'll just be destroyed, and you know!" She pulled the casserole from the oven with her bare palms, ignoring how hot it was. "There! Eat some damn breakfast and leave!" she exclaimed, turning on the cold water and holding her red hands under it.

"Neliel—you're hurt now—shit, shit!" he pulled the only first aid kit in the house out from under the sink while tears fell from Neliel's eyes. "You only hurt yourself when you're mad."

"Just hurry and get out of my life, Nnoitra." He pulled her away from the sink and sat her down, spreading aloe on her blistering hands. It would heal them faster, and numb them until he could pop the blisters for her.

"I wouldn't."

"You won't because you like hurting me." She moaned as he bandaged her palms. "Dondo Chakka! Pesche! Come get breakfast!" she called in a loud voice. She heard the footsteps as they made their way down. Nnoitra cut the casserole for the four of them, pushing the food onto chipped plates and setting them, two at a time, on the table.

Neliel's face reddened to match her birthmark. She took a bite, eating as slow as she could manage to. Nnoitra could read her face all too well, and he could see her unhappiness.

"Dondo, Pesche, do you have any plans today?" Neliel asked in a voice that belonged to someone else, someone with a meek disposition.

"I've got to work today." Pesche answered first.

"Yeah. Me too," Dondo Chakka said. "Nel…what happened to your hands?"

"I—accidentally burned them." She replied.

"Ah, Nel, you should be more careful," Pesche said. He and Dondo Chakka both knew what had actually happened. Neliel heard 'You should really watch your temper.'

They weren't as idiotic as Nnoitra liked to think, Neliel decided. She was not looking forward to being alone with Nnoitra, but Dondo and Pesche were already showering. They weren't going to say goodbye.

"Neliel…you know I've got to stay." Nnoitra started, "I wish you'd come with me."

"No."

"You know that if you did, you'd have all the privileges that go with being a government official."

"I don't want that. I don't want to leave them behind." She told him. "They need me here."

"They'd be fine without you! Can't you see that? Goddammit, Neliel! You're so fucking stupid!"

She huffed and pushed her chair away from the table. "Just drop it." She said. "I didn't sleep well last night." She told him. "I dreamed of you and I woke up too many times."

"I thought those dreams ended."

"They return with you," She said. Her eyes burned into his, and she stood. She hadn't finished her breakfast, but still she went to her room. She had laundry to do, and a house to clean. The sun was out, at least.

"You've been lying to me, then." Nnoitra accused as he followed her.

"You're welcome to stay here, but I have laundry to do," Neliel said as she collected her dirty clothes in a basket. Without a word, she moved up the stairs, dumping Dondo Chakka and Pesche's basket into hers.

"You can't do laundry with those hands." Nnoitra warned. Neliel shot him an unhappy look as she placed her board and soap in the basket.

"I'll have to." She returned. "Who else will do it? I'll manage." She said. "Either way, I don't need your help."

Nnoitra followed her to the river anyway. He watched as she spread out the large, thick white blanket. She kneeled in the shallow water, dipping a dress in it carefully. It wasn't until she pulled it up and down the board that the tears started. She bowed her head, her shoulders shaking as she washed.

"You're better off going home." Neliel warned him between gentle sobs. The pain was great, but the cold water soothed her hands.

"You shouldn't be doing this." Nnoitra retorted.

"What choice do I have?" She demanded, the argument tearing her mind away from the pain momentarily.

He forced the washboard and shirt from her hands, kneeling beside her in the shallow water. He didn't care about his pants getting completely soaked, or that his feet were getting soggy. "Sit back, Neliel. You aren't well," He said. He knew better.

She covered her face with her soaked, bandaged hands, sobbing bitterly. What could she do? What would she do? This life seemed so primitive to her, even while she had electricity and running water in her home. She still had to walk a half mile to wash her clothes in the river simply because her sink was too small, and the bathtubs were always too dirty.

It was the same all around the village. There were few who owned washing machines—and even they could not afford them. The money they spent on water was too much.

Nnoitra washed skillfully, and Neliel remembered teaching him.

_"Here, you bend your elbow like this, and hold the board here." She instructed him, moving his hand and the board. "Then, you take the soap and rub it against the board. There, you've got the next step, too. Very good, Nnoitra." _

_ She kissed his forehead as if to reward him, smiling with genuine happiness. _

_ "Now, if your washing machine ever breaks, you can wash your own clothes without a problem." She told him happily. _

_ "Yeah, doubt that'll ever fucking happen." He grumbled. _

_ "You'll never know until it does." She kissed him again, this time on the lips._

She yawned as she laid back, arms pillowed behind her head. Clouds floated by, and she sighed jealously. How nice it would be to just float freely without any cares.

"I'm finished." Nnoitra said, all of the wet clothes piled in the basket. Neliel picked it up when she stood, forcing herself not to wince.

"Bring the sheet, will you?" She asked. He nodded, feeling defeated.

He felt domestic again when he watched Neliel hang the clothes up in her backyard. She was graceful, her body lithe and strong even while she was unhealthy. The wind was warm and peaceful.

"We'll go to the market." Nnoitra told her. She didn't look away from her laundry.

"You shouldn't do this for me." She argued. "Dondo and Pesche have money. Surely they'll bring something home tonight."

"Neliel…" Nnoitra paused, unsure of what he had to say. He fingered his eye patch unhappily. "They'll be fine without you. Maybe even better off."

"What of the other woman?" Neliel demanded breezily. "Won't you be better off marrying her?"

"There isn't another woman, you idiot." Nnoitra ran a hand through his hair. Neliel sighed, but continued pinning up the laundry. He noticed the increase in her pace, and the way her movements became shorter and choppier. He could tell she was angry. He lied to her again, and she was jealous. He knew.

She thought he was dumb enough to pass it off as nothing, but he knew better. He especially knew her better.

She finished quickly for having injured hands. Her eyes were blank when she turned them to Nnoitra, but he knew by the way her arms were folded she wasn't happy. He took her shoulder and guided her to the cracked street. She blinked once when he opened the dark car's door and sat her down in the bucket seat carefully.

"I forgot…" She mumbled, tears in her eyes.

"Dammit, you cry too much, Neliel. What the hell is wrong with you?" He demanded. Yet, he was softening. Such was always the way whenever he visited her. She pressed her forehead against the glass, eyes closed.

"I missed you." She admitted in a microscopic voice. He started the car and drove. The market was five miles from Neliel's village. Ordinarily, she walked, or took a bus. Sometimes, Pesche or Dondo would drive her in the car the two shared. It was only on special occasions that they'd escort her. The car was breaking down slowly, and they hardly drove anywhere.

Nnoitra drove in silence past long, green fields, over loose gravel roads. Neliel took in the scenery in an odd silence, tears slowly streaming down her face.

"You can't leave me," She said quietly.

"You're coming with me." He returned. "And you aren't allowed to say no." He slid the car to a stop near a grazing field. "I'll send your brothers money if that's what you want. It ain't like we won't see them again."

"I can't leave this place." She sobbed.

"Why? There's nothing keeping you here. Yer family's dead but for yer brothers. Fuck, Neliel, you're pissing me off. You can't say no! I'll fucking leave you here if that's what you want."

"Nnoitra…" She stared pleadingly at him.

"Look, woman, I keep fucking telling you how it is between us. I can get you a job and I can keep you happy. I can't keep coming out here for you. There's gonna come a time when my visits end. D'ya really fucking want that?" He demanded loudly. Neliel shrunk into the seat, her face covered by dirty bandages.

"Do you love me, Nnoitra?" She asked softly.

"What's that got to do with this?"

Neliel opened the car door and stepped out. Nnoitra watched helplessly as she walked away, amazed her thin legs could carry her. Then, he turned his car around and pulled up next to her, rolling his tinted window down.

"Neliel, I love you." He told her. She stopped and turned to him. Her eyes widened, and she clutched her chest and fell to her knees. Nnoitra flew into a panic, knowing that look. He threw the car in park and jumped out. "Neliel! Neliel, goddammit, Neliel! Don't get so worked up—oh, shit!"

He pulled her unconscious form off of the ground, and placed her back in the seat. He belted her in hastily, and jumped into his seat. Then, he turned around again, flying down the dirt roads until he met with gravel, pavement and eventually, civilization. Neliel still breathed, but her chest was rising and falling rapidly.

"Neliel, wake up. Neliel! Wake the fuck up!" He demanded as he shook her shoulder. She wasn't budging. "God…" He grumbled. He flew into the E.R. parking lot recklessly, parking in the first spot he saw, lucky that it was a regular spot.

He pulled Neliel from the car, rushing in through the double automatic doors.

"She needs help!" Nnoitra yelled. Almost immediately, an orderly rushed up with a wheelchair, instructing Nnoitra on how to put her in it. Then, she was wheeled off. Nnoitra attempted to follow, but was halted.

"Here, we need these filled out." A nurse at the counter told him. He sighed, rubbing his forehead in annoyance. He hated this bureaucratic shit. He had to deal with it at work all the damn time. And fuck, he hoped he wouldn't be recognized.

"Nnoitra Jiruga?" A voice to his right asked hopefully.

"What's it to you?" He demanded.

"I'm a big fan of…" The woman continued on while Nnoitra tuned her out. He refocused when he felt her hand on his knee—and traveling upwards fast. He grabbed her wrist. He wasn't in the mood.

"You know of my reputation." He grumbled. "Look, I don't do that shit anymore. Back off."

"What are you doing here?" She asked, and he scowled.

"My fiancée has a heart condition. She's gone into some kind of shock." He explained. The woman pulled out a notebook and scribbled furiously.

"Tell me more!"

"That's all you need to know." Nnoitra growled, pulling the page out of her notebook quickly. "Damned reporter." He accused and relocated.

"Nnoitra Jiruga?" Another voice asked some time later.

"For the love of God, don't fucking hit on me." He growled. The woman was shocked at first, but then she laughed.

"Oh, no. No. I'm Doctor Inoue. The woman you brought in—she's in stable condition now, and she's asking for you."

"Thanks. Where at?"

"Room Three. Through those doors on the left."

Nnoitra followed the instructions and found Neliel. She was pale, her eyes huge and dark.

"I'm going to die," She said.

"You're dramatic." He frowned. "You won't die. You wouldn't die unless you need a new heart."

"And what if I do?" Neliel demanded.

"Well, I sure as hell ain't going to rip out my own for you."

"Naturally." Neliel sighed. "I might need a new heart. Have they told you anything yet?" She asked.

"No, they're probably going to tell us at the same time. I doubt you need a new heart, foolish woman."

"I can't get a job in this condition. The stress would kill me."

"You know what, don't work. I make enough money to support you."

"And you'll be traveling all the time. I'll never see you." Neliel frowned, smoothing the sheets with her hand. Nnoitra did not fail to notice the IV hooked into her arm.

"You'll see me plenty. You're going to travel with me. There're too many bitches trying to get in bed with me." Nnoitra grumbled. "And—none of them are any good."

"I don't want to."

"You're sick. You have to." Nnoitra charged. "You can't fucking stay here. You're under a ton of stress in this place. And I don't travel as much as you think. I took vacation time to come down and get you. And you pull this shit on me. God damn it, Neliel."

"What do you want, then?" Neliel demanded.

"I want to do whatever it takes to get you healthy, and take you with me. We'll let your brothers know, and I'll send them money, they can use me as a job reference—whatever you want." Nnoitra sighed.

"It's taken thirteen years for you to say this." Neliel told him. "I've been waiting patiently all those years."

"And I haven't been?"

"I'm not saying that. But now that you are—I'm not sure." Neliel frowned, shaking her head.

"God damn it, Neliel. I swear…Fine, you know what? I'll take you home, and you can live in the dirt with your idiot brothers. Fine, Neliel, if that's what you really want. You don't want me? Then fine. Fine, I'll fucking leave!" Nnoitra told her, and Neliel saw his hands shaking. She saw the pain building in his eye.

"No, don't. I just—I just want time to think about it, is that okay?" She asked. "That's all I want."

"You're just going to think about it? And say no, right, Neliel?" He demanded.

"Just give me time. I'm sick, Nnoitra. I could be dying, you know. So please, give me a little bit of time." She begged, her eyes shutting.

"All right, all right." He waved his hand. "I'll go rent a room or something. I'll leave my number at the desk. You tell them to call me when you're ready. Unless you want me to visit you or something."

"It's fine. Will you let my brothers know I'm okay?" She asked.

"Sure. Whatever you want." He rolled his eye and sighed. "Oh, and if anyone asks, you're my fiancée."

"What?" Neliel sat up. "This changes things." She told him, and he swore he could see her getting better.

"How?"

"Before, you never wanted to marry me. I've always been your toy."

"Just because yer my 'fiancée' doesn't mean I'm actually going to marry you." He spat. Neliel shrank back into her pillows. Her face darkened, and her eyes lost focus.

"Get out." She ordered, and her voice was just as dark, and cold.

"What?"

"I said, get out. It's an order." She glared sharply at him. For a moment, he could see her commanding a roomful of servants. Nnoitra turned and left, finding no other choice in mind. But he would be back.

This woman was the only one who could captivate him just as she had done. What was attractive about a woman who sobbed and grew sick? Maybe it was because he had known her before things had grown worse.

They'd grown up together in their dirt-poor village. Then, on Nnoitra's twenty-first birthday, his uncle whisked him away to the city. There, he was groomed for gubernatorial status. He wasn't expected to achieve it, but great things were certainly expected.

And Neliel was left behind in the dirt, trapped with disease and famine. Years had gone by, and Nnoitra had gained much more status than originally expected. Yet, he knew he didn't have everything he wanted. Of course, he had never expected Neliel to top the list of things he needed and wanted.

No, Neliel was a bitch to him. Or, she had been up until they had turned sixteen—which was old enough to date. Then, she had a sudden change in heart, though not so much in attitude. She kissed him once a week, a chaste, bittersweet kiss which signaled Monday was next in line.

Nnoitra couldn't help looking forward to Sunday nights.

_"Neliel, what the hell did ya bring me here for?" He demanded of her. _

_ "I wanted to show you this place." She whispered, touching her finger to his lips. She was gentle, soft and forgiving. "I come here when I want to be alone. I thought you'd appreciate it. You know, for when you need alone time." _

_ After all, he lived with a lot of people. And so did she. Could they help it if they needed time to channel their thoughts? And here was a clear pool, a small clearing obscured by trees and a hiding spot. She climbed up a tree skillfully, and Nnoitra cautiously followed her steps. _

_ Then, they sat above the clearing. Their feet dangled in the greenery, their backs against the tree's trunk. Neliel closed her eyes and sighed, encased in herself for that moment. Nnoitra stared in awe at his surroundings. He reached for her hand, and she looked at him docilely. _

_ "I love you, Neliel." He told her. She just smiled and held his hand._

But what could he do about his current situation? He could only think of one thing, and that was to make the engagement official. He sighed and kneaded his forehead. A hospital was the last place he wanted to propose to Neliel. What choice did he have now?

He had to get a ring, and he had to get one fast.

As soon as he made it to his hotel room, he picked up the room phone and started dialing. He made calls left and right, for this had to be perfect. She had to say yes-she would say yes, there was no doubt in his mind. All the color fled back to her face as soon as he mentioned anything about marriage.

It took him the better part of an hour to find the best jeweler in town, and he flew down the dirt roads to pick out the perfect ring. Neliel would be swept off her feet, he knew it.

He looked over a hundred rings until he found the one. It was adorned with crescents with a small diamond in the center. It was pure and simple green tinted silver, and as soon as he saw it he knew she'd love it.

He put a couple silver, crescent embossed wedding bands on reserve as well. Once he had everything taken care of, he returned to his room to relax. The next day, he called the hospital to check on Neliel.

"How is she? Do you have a diagnosis?" He asked.

"Well, we do. It's nothing big, she's only had a simple panic attack. With a few days rest, she should be fine."

"Can I take her home then?" He asked.

"Yes, we'd like to hold her until noon, but after that you're welcome to pick her up at any time."

"Thank you."

He hung up and packed what few things he'd brought with him. At around 12:30, he drove to the hospital to pick up Neliel. He walked to her room and found her napping peacefully. A small smile touched her lips, and he moved to her bedside. He smoothed her hair back from her face and gently pressed his lips to hers.

She stirred but didn't wake. He caressed her cheek until her eyes fluttered open and she took him in groggily.

"Nnoitra?" She blinked at him questioningly.

"Yeah, I'm here to take you home." He told her.

"Already?"

"You're going to be fine. You just had a panic attack. Come on, I want to take you somewhere." He reached for her hand. She blinked in confusion and frowned.

"Well, all right, if you say so." She slowly got up, pressing her hand to her head. "Why are you so dressed up?" She asked softly.

"I'm always dressed up, don't pretend like this is special." He grumbled irritably. She smiled sweetly, and he realized that her stay in the hospital had begun to replenish her deficient nutrients. There was color in her face, and she was beginning to look healthy again.

"Neliel-you're-"

"There's no need for words right now." She seemed to look right into his mind for a moment. "There's plenty of time for it later, isn't there? Right now, I want to be quiet."

He nodded and took her to his car. "Are you hungry?" He asked. She shrugged.

"I could eat, I suppose."

"I hear there's a great cafe nearby." He told her. She shrugged.

"I wouldn't know." He patted her shoulder and drove.

They were seated outside, and Nnoitra glanced over the menu. It was inexpensive for what he was used to.

"Order something for your brothers, too." He told her. Her eyes were huge when she looked up at him.

"Are you sure? It's so expensive." She clapped her hands to her face.

"It's not, Neliel. Just do it."

"All right, all right." She sighed and ordered three entrees when her turn came. Two of them, of course, were to be boxed up.

She had never felt so full as when she finished her food. "Oh, Nnoitra, thank you so much." She sighed as she leaned back in her seat. "I'm so stuffed."

"Don't worry about it." He smiled, and Neliel's breath caught in her throat.

"You're-"

"Plenty of time for that later, Neliel."

"You're right." She smiled in return. She hadn't felt this relaxed in years. When the check came, Nnoitra paid it without batting an eye.

"There's a dress shop next door. I've got to go across the street to take care of something, here's my credit card, go buy yourself a couple nice dresses."

"What? Why?" Neliel gasped.

"I want to do something nice for you. I ruined your nice dress-I feel bad." He lied.

"Oh." Neliel looked down at the piece of plastic uncomfortably. "I won't spend much, I promise."

"Spend as much as you like. Just get something you like." He told her. "Spend like it's infinite." He commanded. She nodded, her eyes huge.

While he walked across the street, she made her way to the dress shop. She picked out two dresses, one a sea foam green, knee length dress and the other a deep pink, ankle length. She also picked out a pair of shoes to match both dresses, and paid for it.

She met Nnoitra out front, and he took her home. They gave her brothers the food, and they accepted it with great surprise.

"Thank you so much!" They bowed and ate carefully. Neliel smiled luxuriously, happier than she had been in years. However, she wasn't sure how long this would last.

"Neliel, put on your favorite new dress."

"Oh...okay..." She frowned and padded off. She came back dressed in the green dress, and Nnoitra nearly gasped in shock. She was a vision, the dress suited her perfectly. He had never seen her look more beautiful.

"Put your shoes on, I want to take you somewhere." He told her. He took a dark blue handkerchief out of his pocket and loosely tied it around her eyes.

"What are you doing?" She demanded, immediately reaching up to pull it off.

"Don't, I want this to be a surprise." He told her. "Don't worry, I'll lead you."

She hesitated before saying "Okay."

He took her hand and led her out the door. Every step she took felt like an eternity. She could feel how soft the ground was beneath her feet, and she took care not to roll an ankle.

She had a feeling something big was about to happen, but speaking would only spoil things. She could hear birds chirping and cicadas sighing in the trees, the sounds of a summer night dying down.

It wasn't dark yet, but the sun was slowly beginning to set. Soon enough, he stopped her to take off the blindfold. She gasped in shock when she realized where they were.

"Nnoitra-you remembered."

"Of course. And look, our tree is still here." He began to climb up. She kicked her shoes off and followed him, taking care not to rip her new dress. There they sat, above the clearing, watching the evening die down.

"Neliel, I brought you here for a reason."

She placed her hand on his cheek to turn his face to her.

"I didn't really want to do this in the most traditional way." He scratched the back of his head, collecting his thoughts. "But I know this is a place we both love, and so I wanted to do it here. There's no better place for it. I can't live my life without you any more, Neliel. Marry me." He produced the ring, and Neliel's eyes doubled in size.

"Oh, Nnoitra, of course I'll marry you!" She threw her arms around him, heedless of the fact they were in a tree. "I love you." She breathed.

He placed the ring on her finger before kissing her, and she smiled against his lips. "I can't wait to share the good news."

"Let's just stay here for a while." He said as he wrapped his arm around her.

"I like the way you think." She whispered as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "And I'm so glad you proposed here. I could never say no in this place."

"Oh, you would have said no anywhere else?" He chided. She kissed him then to silence him, and he pushed her back against the trunk of the tree. She moaned against his lips, and he ran his hand down her side.

She smiled at him then, all her doubts and worries gone.

"Thank you, Nnoitra. Now I know everything will be okay." She murmured. He curled his fingers around the back of her head to keep her face close to his.

"No shit." He rested his forehead against hers. "Now, quit talking."

"Time enough for that later." She chimed. They kissed again, and Neliel couldn't remember a time she was happier. All of her dreams were coming true, and everything was coming together for her, finally. She relaxed in Nnoitra's arms, dreaming of a brighter future.

_Sequel or one-shot?_


End file.
